Nightingale
by allofthesestars
Summary: Aubrielle Lynch couldn't stand Quidditch. So, when it's canceled for the year, she was more than thrilled. But with its cancellation brings something else that she didn't expect - Viktor Krum.
1. Chapter 1

One of the most memorable things about Aubrielle Lynch was her tiny stature. She was starting her sixth year at Hogwarts but she could pass for a second year. Her big brown eyes made her look mostly naïve, which made her look younger. She blended in easily with the crowd, not that she minded. Aubrielle was never the sociable creature, preferring to be on her own. That's what she loved about being in Ravenclaw. The common room was mostly quiet, perfect for studying when she didn't feel like making the trek to the library.

She was also very smart, typical of a Ravenclaw. She was easily at the top of her class in all subjects. Though some thought it may have been effortless, Aubrielle spent many hours studying numerous subjects in order to earn her grade.

What people didn't really know about Aubrielle was that she absolutely hated Quidditch. Growing up in a world where her dad, Theo Lynch, was a famous Beater for Ireland made her dislike the sport. Though he tried to spend as much time with her, his job almost always interfered. So, when he had to retire, she wasn't shedding any tears. Now, he worked at the Ministry of Magic in the Department of Magical Games and Sports. So, when he announced that he had scored tickets to the World Cup and invited her to go along, she had half a mind to decline and stay home with her cat, Maggie. Her mum, on the other hand, decided that it would be excellent father/daughter bonding time and had practically forced her to attend. And it happened that her older brother, Aidan Lynch, was a seeker for Ireland.

"But, mum, you're not going…" Aubrielle complained.

"Being around crowds isn't good for my anxiety." Lisette Rossi explained. To anyone who spent any time around Lisette knew that she was worrywart with extreme anxiety issues. When she had gotten pregnant with both Aidan and Aubrielle, she forced Healers to induce her early. She never married their father in worries that marriage would ruin their relationship.

Aubrielle never understood how parents even stayed together, especially for as long as they've been together. Theo Lynch was born and raised in Ireland and went to school at Hogwarts while Lisette Rossi was born in France and attended Beauxbatons Academy of Magic. They somehow met when Theo went to France the summer after his seventh year and met her in Paris. Before the end of the summer, she was pregnant with Aidan. Nine years later, she ended up pregnant again with Aubrielle. Both children were unexpected but the couple made the best of it.

* * *

On the day of the World Cup, Aubrielle found herself sitting in the Top Box alone. Her father was easily recognized by several Quidditch fans and was talking avidly about how he thought the match was going to go. It ended in Ireland winning, obviously. Seeing as her dad used to play for Ireland and her brother currently did, she purposely dressed in Bulgaria's colors.

"Lynch!" She groaned when she heard her last name being shouted by two people. Even though she was about sure who it was, she looked up from the book she had grabbed and saw the Weasley Twins. Their identical faces had huge grins on them as they continued to stare at Aubrielle.

Last year, the twins had come to Aubrielle in need of a History of Magic tutor. Professor McGonagall threatened to kick them off the Quidditch team because of their terrible grades. With some encouragement from both McGonagall and Flitwick, she began to tutor Fred and George Weasley. By the end of the year, they managed to pass the class but determined not to take it again.

"Yes?" She slipped her old bookmark in and closed _Pride and Prejudice. _It may have been a Muggle book but Aubrielle had a hard time putting it down.

"We thought you hated Quidditch." George stated. Some people had a whole lot of trouble trying to tell the troublesome duo apart. After spending many hours with them, she learned that George was just a tad taller than Fred and had more freckles.

"I do." They raised their eyebrows.

"Then why are you here?" Fred asked. "And wearing Bulgaria's colors?" With that comment, he and George began to act like they were vomiting. Clearly, they were Ireland fans.

"You're Theo Lynch!" George randomly shouted. Aubrielle tried not to roll her eyes as her dad made his reappearance after being gone for about ten minutes.

"Aubby, are these friends of yours?"

"Nope." She quickly opened her book back and started reading.

"Oh that hurts." Fred held his hand over his heart.

"Dad, this is Fred and George Weasley." She introduced them without even looking up from her book.

"Your dad is Theo Lynch?"

"Last time I checked, he was."

"Your dad is Theo Lynch! That means her brother is Aidan Lynch!"

"It's nice to meet you." After signing a few autographs, the twins went back to their seat with the rest of their family while Theo settled in beside Aubrielle.

"I thought you said you didn't have any friends…" He glanced at his only daughter.

"I used to tutor the twins. They somehow think that makes us best friends." She replied dryly.

"So, I have nothing to worry about?"

"Dad. I don't date!" She exclaimed, catching the attention of a few people in the box. Thankfully, the game started, drawing everyone's attention to the Quidditch pitch. She was annoyed with the appearance of the Veelas but immediately started smirking when the Leprechauns started throwing gold coins at the stands. When she was younger, her dad used to bring her some Leprechaun gold every now and then. He loved seeing her face when they would disappear. Even back then, she was curious to know everything, especially where the gold was going.

About half way in the game, Aubrielle had finished the book and started watching the Quidditch players zoom around the pitch. Ireland was winning and it was obvious that Bulgaria really had no chance of winning the cup unless they kept main possession of the Quaffle and caught the Snitch.

After Viktor Krum, Bulgaria's seeker, had his nose broken by a Bludger, the score was 170-10. Aubrielle was more than ready for Ireland to win, even though it meant her dad would want to be celebrating all night.

Suddenly, Krum and Aidan went speeding in one direction in what Aubrielle assumed was the Snitch. Though she didn't like the sport, she knew enough of it to know that Krum catching the Snitch would end the game, resulting in Bulgaria losing by 10 points. But Ireland was dominating the game and would win the game by a tremendous amount if Aidan caught the Snitch. Before Aubrielle was done thinking, the Snitch had been caught.

170-160.

Krum had caught the Snitch.

Though her dad seemed miffed that Aidan didn't catch the Snitch, he jumped up in celebration that Ireland had won the World Cup. Shortly after Ireland performed the lap of honor, they were presented with the Quidditch World Cup. Aubrielle had never seen her dad look so proud in her life. He never looked this proud about something that she had accomplished, not even when she earned 10 O.W.L.s just last year. He didn't even catch the bloody Snitch!

During the midst of the celebration, all hell broke loose. At first, Aubrielle thought that Bulgaria was upset about losing but she was quickly proven wrong. Her dad quickly came running with Aidan right behind him. Without saying a word, Theo grabbed her and apparated to their manor in Ireland.

Her old and tattered copy of _Pride and Prejudice _was left lying on the ground in the midst of the chaos.

* * *

"What the hell?" Lisette walked into the living room as Theo, Aubrielle, and Aidan appeared.

"Death Eaters." Theo kissed her forehead before walking in the kitchen.

Once it had been settled that none of the three had been injured whatsoever, Aidan and Theo took turns in regaling the events of the World Cup. Aubrielle rolled her eyes and walked upstairs to her bedroom, not wanting a re-education on how everything happened.

Her room had a small, cozy feel about it, which Aubrielle loved. The walls were painted a light brown color that made the room look warm and they went rather well with the dark, hardwood floor. She had her desk sitting below a big window that overlooked the lake where she and Aidan would spend their summers swimming at before he went on to be a professional Quidditch seeker. Her bed was canopy style with white, see-through material covering the top and tied to the bedposts. Her comforter, along with the sheets and pillow, were also white. On the wall opposite of her desk was the walk-in closet that her mum insisted that she needed.

She quickly grabbed a set of sleep clothes and headed off to the bathroom, where she planned to stay until the water turned rigidly cold, which was what she did. Once she got out of the shower, she dried herself and quickly got dressed. She learned that if she walked out of the bathroom in just a towel with Aidan home, the towel may not stay on for long. When she walked back into her room, her mum was patiently sitting on her bed.

"Everything okay Brie?" Aubrielle couldn't help it. She quickly sat on the bed and enjoyed the comfort that only her mum could provide.

"Aidan didn't even catch the bloody Snitch and dad looked prouder than when he found out about my ten O.W.L.s, how is that fair?" She wiped her eyes quickly. She knew her dad loved her... He had to, right? "Is it because I don't like Quidditch?"

"No dear. You know how your father is. He would have married Quidditch had he been able to." From then on, words weren't needed. Aubrielle knew just as well as her mum did, Aidan was Theo's favorite because he had chosen to follow his father's footsteps. Her mum just spent the rest of time, holding her daughter.

* * *

Please R&R :)


	2. Chapter 2

Hogwarts was where Aubrielle felt that she belonged. There was nobody who judged her because of the fact that she was related to Theo Lynch or Aidan Lynch, not that anybody knew that she was. 

On the train, she had planned to sit in a compartment with a few other Ravenclaws who would spend the ride reading or quietly napping. When Fred and George sighted her, her plans were then thrown out the window. They all but forced her into sharing a compartment with them and Lee Jordan. She spent half of the trip, trying to read but eventually gave up and started intently watching George and Lee play a game of Exploding Snap. She couldn't help but laugh when one of the cards exploded, singeing George's eyebrow. 

"You have a nice laugh." George commented, making her blush. She stared out the window for the rest of the trip, occasionally making eye contact with George, which made her blush even more.

* * *

Once the train had arrived at Hogwarts, the twins grabbed a carriage with Lee and Aubrielle. She rolled her eyes when the topic of conversation ended up on Quidditch. She knew it was inevitable seeing that the twins were Beaters for the Gryffindor team and Lee was the commentator. Thankfully, George and Fred knew not to engage her in the conversation unless they wanted to hear insults about their beloved sport.

She was relieved when they made it inside the castle and they had to go to their respective tables. Though she didn't add much to the conversation, she enjoyed being around people. It was no different from what she was used to. By the time she had come around, Aidan was showing a real interest in Quidditch so Theo was spending time, helping him get better. Aubrielle spent her days with her mum, who preferred quietness.

She shook her head and focused on the Sorting, clapping whenever a student was placed in Ravenclaw. Once the Sorting was over, she helped herself to the delicious feast that the house elves had prepared. While her mum could cook, there was nothing like eating during the feasts at Hogwarts.

"So!" said Dumbledore, smiling around at all of the students that had just finished eating. "Now that we are all fed and watered, I must once more ask for your attention, while I give out a few notices. Mr. Filch, the caretaker, has asked me to tell you that the list of objects forbidden inside the castle has this year been extended to include Screaming Yo-yos, Fanged Frisbees, and Ever-Bashing Boomerangs. The full list comprises some four hundred and thirty-seven items, I believe, and can be viewed in Mr. Filch's office, if anybody would like to check it." The corners of Dumbledore's mouth twitched.

He continued, "As ever, I would like to remind you all that the forest on the grounds is out-of-bounds to students, as is the village of Hogsmeade to all below third year. It is also my painful duty to inform you that the Inter-House Quidditch Cup will not take place this year." He paused, as to give the students time to process the news. For the first time since sitting down at the table, she found her lips turning up in a smile.

"This is due to an event that will be starting in October, and continuing throughout the school year, taking up much of the teachers' time and energy-but I am sure you will all enjoy it immensely. I have great pleasure in announcing that this year at Hogwarts-"But at that moment, there was a deafening rumble of thunder and the doors of the Great Hall banged open.

A man stood in the doorway, leaning upon a long staff, shrouded in a black traveling cloak. Every head in the Great Hall swiveled toward the stranger, suddenly brightly illuminated by a fork of lightning that flashed across the ceiling. He lowered his hood, shook out a long mane of grizzled, dark gray hair, and then began to walk up toward the teachers' table. A dull clunk echoed through the Hall on his every other step. He reached the end of the top table, turned right, and limped heavily toward Dumbledore. Another flash of lightning crossed the ceiling. The lightning had thrown the man's face into sharp relief, and it was a face unlike any Aubrielle had ever seen. It looked as though it had been carved out of weathered wood by someone who had only the vaguest idea of what human faces are supposed to look like, and was none too skilled with a chisel. Every inch of skin seemed to be scarred. The mouth looked like a diagonal gash, and a large chunk of the nose was missing. But it was the man's eyes that made him frightening. One of them was small, dark, and beady. The other was large, round as a coin, and a vivid, electric blue. The blue eye was moving ceaselessly, without blinking, and was rolling up, down, and from side to side, quite independently of the normal eye-and then it rolled right over, pointing into the back of the man's head, so that all they could see was whiteness. The stranger reached Dumbledore. He stretched out a hand that was as badly scarred as his face, and Dumbledore shook it, muttering words that the students couldn't hear. He seemed to be making some inquiry of the stranger, who shook his head unsmilingly and replied in an undertone. Dumbledore nodded and gestured the man to the empty seat on his right-hand side. The stranger sat down, shook his mane of dark gray hair out of his face, pulled a plate of sausages toward him, and raised it to what was left of his nose, and sniffed it. He then took a small knife out of his pocket, speared a sausage on the end of it, and began to eat. His normal eye was fixed upon the sausages, but the blue eye was still darting restlessly around in its socket, taking in the Hall and the students.

"May I introduce our new Defense Against the Dark Arts teacher?" said Dumbledore brightly into the silence. "Professor Moody." Only Dumbledore and Hagrid clapped while everyone else, Aubrielle included, seemed too transfixed by Moody's bizarre appearance to do more than stare at him.

Moody seemed totally indifferent to his less-than-warm welcome. Ignoring the jug of pumpkin juice in front of him, he reached again into his traveling cloak, pulled out a hip flask, and took a long draught from it. Dumbledore cleared his throat.

"As I was saying," he said, smiling at the sea of students before him, all of whom were still gazing transfixed at Mad-Eye Moody, "we are to have the honor of hosting a very exciting event over the coming months, an event that has not been held for over a century. It is my very great pleasure to inform you that the Triwizard Tournament will be taking place at Hogwarts this year."

"You're JOKING!" Someone said loudly. Aubrielle turned her head to see that it had been one of the Weasley twins that he broke the tension that had filled the Hall ever since Moody's arrival suddenly broke.

Nearly everyone laughed, and Dumbledore chuckled appreciatively. "I am not joking, Mr. Weasley, " he said, "Though now that you mention it, I did hear an excellent one over the summer about a troll, a hag, and a leprechaun who all go into a bar. Professor McGonagall cleared her throat loudly.

"Er-but maybe this is not the time... No... "Said Dumbledore, "where was I? Ah yes, the Triwizard Tournament... Well, some of you will not know what this tournament involves, so I hope those who do know will forgive me for giving a short explanation, and allow their attention to wander freely. "The Triwizard Tournament was first established some seven hundred years ago as a friendly competition between the three largest European schools of wizardry: Hogwarts, Beauxbatons, and Durmstrang. A champion was selected to represent each school, and the three champions competed in three magical tasks. The schools took it in turns to host the tournament once every five years, and it was generally agreed to be a most excellent way of establishing ties between young witches and wizards of different nationalities-until, that is, the death toll mounted so high that the tournament was discontinued."

"There have been several attempts over the centuries to reinstate the tournament, "Dumbledore continued, "none of which has been very successful. However, our own departments of International Magical Cooperation and Magical Games and Sports have decided the time is ripe for another attempt. We have worked hard over the summer to ensure that this time; no champion will find himself or herself in mortal danger."

"Did you know about this?" Bethany Young leaned over and asked Aubrielle. Both of their fathers worked for the Department of Magical Games and Sports. They saw each other on an occasion during the summer but never got close.

"No."

"The heads of Beauxbatons and Durmstrang will be arriving with their short-listed contenders in October, and the selection of the three champions will take place at Halloween. An impartial judge will decide which students are most worthy to compete for the Triwizard Cup, the glory of their school, and a thousand Galleons personal prize money. "Aubrielle heard many people at the Ravenclaw table, as well as the other three tables start all whisper, all declaring that they would go for it because of the prize money…. _Didn't they understand that people died in these tournaments?_ She thought.

"Eager though I know all of you will be to bring the Triwizard Cup to Hogwarts, "he said, "The heads of the participating schools, along with the Ministry of Magic, have agreed to impose an age restriction on contenders this year. Only students who are of age-that is to say, seventeen years or older-will bellowed to put forward their names for consideration. This"-Dumbledore raised his voice slightly, for several people had made noises of outrage at these words, "is a measure we feel is necessary, given that the tournament tasks will still be difficult and dangerous, whatever precautions we take, and it is highly unlikely that students below sixth and seventh year will be able to cope with them. I will personally be ensuring that no underage student hoodwinks our impartial judge into making them Hogwarts champion. "His light blue eyes twinkled as they flickered over to the Gryffindor table. When Aubrielle followed his gaze, she saw the twins, looking mighty upset that they couldn't compete.

"I therefore beg you not to waste your time submitting yourself if you are under seventeen. The delegations from Beauxbatons and Durmstrang will be arriving in October and remaining with us for the greater part of this year. I know that you will all extend every courtesy to our foreign guests while they are with us, and will give your whole-hearted support to the Hogwarts champion when he or she is selected. And now, it is late, and I know how important it is to you all to be alert and rested as you enter your lessons tomorrow morning. Bedtime! Chop chop!" Dumbledore sat down again and turned to talk to Mad-Eye Moody. There was a great scraping and banging as all the students got to their feet and swarmed toward the double doors into the entrance hall.

* * *

Aubrielle was making her way out of the Great Hall when she felt herself being lifted up. Looking on either side of her, she saw a Weasley twin.

"Fred! George! Put that innocent second year down!" Though Aubrielle knew that she looked younger than she was, she was absolutely tired of being compared to a 12 year old when she had just turned 16.

"What the hell?" She asked but got no response. Finally, they reached an empty part in the entrance hall where they let go of her.

"We want to enter the competition." Fred stated.

"But we don't turn 17 till April." George explained.

"So, we need to figure out a way to get our names entered."

"We? What do you mean we?" Aubrielle raised her eyebrow.

"You're smart."

"So we beg you to help us." She looked back and forth between the twins. They were looking at her, pouting with puppy dog eyes.

"I'll look into it. But that's it." Before she could react, they were kissing her cheek, Fred on her left and George on her right.

"You're the best." George smiled at her before following Fred to the Gryffindor tower.

"What the hell did I get myself into?" She muttered.

* * *

Thank you for reading, please don't forget to R&R!


	3. Chapter 3

A/N: Thank you for continuing to read this story! Please remember to review; I would love to hear your thoughts.

Disclaimer: J.K Rowling owns Harry Potter. I am just a simple fan, writing fanfiction. The only thing I own is Aubrielle and her family. Everything belongs to J.K.

* * *

Aubrielle spent the next month fully dedicated to her studies. Of course, Fred and George wouldn't let her forget her promise. But, she really had no information on what was being done in order to keep anybody under 17 from entering.

The day where the students from Durmstrang and Beauxbatons would arrive came faster than Aubrielle expected. Then again, she really hadn't been paying attention to a calendar lately. She had been preoccupied with her studies. It was her sixth year, so things were getting, or at least should have been. She didn't really see any difference besides the coursework progressively getting harder but she was always a diligent student.

Fred and George had forced her out of the library to welcome Durmstrang and Beauxbatons to Hogwarts. They had placed her in between them so she couldn't try to escape to get back to her studying. So, she was standing in between them, looking like an annoyed little child. Then, the Heads of Houses had come out and forced them to stand in a line with their own house.

"We're watching you Lynch." Fred threatened as she went to stand with her fellow Ravenclaws.

And then Dumbledore called out from the back row where he stood with the other teachers-"Aha! Unless I am very much mistaken, the delegation from Beauxbatons approaches!"

"Where?" said many students eagerly, all looking in different directions.

"There!" yelled a sixth year, pointing over the forest. Something large, much larger than a broomstick-or, indeed, a hundred broomsticks-was hurtling across the deep blue sky toward the castle, growing larger all the time.

"It's a dragon!" shrieked one of the first years, losing her head completely.

"Don't be stupid... It's a flying house!"Someone said.

As the gigantic black shape skimmed over the treetops of the Forbidden Forest and the lights shining from the castle windows hit it, they saw a gigantic, powder blue, horse-drawn carriage, the size of a large house, soaring toward them, pulled through the air by a dozen winged horses, all palominos, and each the size of an elephant. The front three rows of students drew backward as the carriage hurtled ever lower, coming in to land at a tremendous speed-then, with an almighty crash that made Neville jump backward onto a Slytherin fifth year's foot, the horses' hooves, larger than dinner plates, hit the ground. A second later, the carriage landed too, bouncing upon its vast wheels, while the golden horses tossed their enormous heads and rolled large, fiery red eyes. Aubrielle just had time to see that the door of the carriage bore a coat of arms (two crossed, golden wands, each emitting three stars) before it opened.

A boy in pale blue robes jumped down from the carriage, bent forward, fumbled for a moment with something on the carriage floor, and unfolded a set of golden steps. He sprang back respectfully. Then Aubrielle saw a shining, high-heeled black shoe emerging from the inside of the carriage-a shoe the size oaf child's sled-followed, almost immediately, by the largest woman he had ever seen in her life and she thought that her aunt Helen was big….

The size of the carriage, and of the horses, was immediately explained. The woman (now at the foot of the steps, and looking around at the waiting, wide-eyed crowd) seemed even more unnaturally large. As she stepped into the light flooding from the entrance hall, she was revealed to have a handsome, olive-skinned face; large, black, liquid-looking eyes; and a rather beaky nose. Her hair was drawn back in a shining knob at the base of her neck. She was dressed from head to foot in black satin, and many magnificent opals gleamed at her throat and on her thick fingers.

Dumbledore started to clap; the students, following his lead, broke into applause too, many of them standing on tiptoe, the better to look at this woman. Her face relaxed into a gracious smile and she walked forward toward Dumbledore, extending glittering hand. Dumbledore, though tall himself, had barely to bend to kiss it.

"My dear Madame Maxime," he said. "Welcome to Hogwarts."

"Dumbly-dort," said Madame Maxime in a deep voice. "I 'ope I find you well?"

"In excellent form, I thank you," said Dumbledore.

"My pupils," said Madame Maxime, waving one of her enormous hands carelessly behind her. There was about a dozen boys and girls, all, by the look of them, in their late teens, had emerged from the carriage and were now standing behind Madame Maxime. They were shivering, which was unsurprising, given that their robes seemed to be made of fine silk, and none of them were wearing cloaks. A few had wrapped scarves and shawls around their heads.

"As Karkaroff arrived yet?" Madame Maxime asked.

"He should be here any moment," said Dumbledore. "Would you like to wait here and greet him or would you prefer to step inside and warm up a trifle?"

"Warm up, I think, " said Madame Maxime. "But ze 'orses-"

"Our Care of Magical Creatures teacher will be delighted to take care of them," said Dumbledore, "the moment he has returned from dealing with a slight situation that has arisen with some of his other-er-charges."

"My steeds require-er-forceful 'andling, " said Madame Maxime, looking as though she doubted whether any Care off Magical Creatures teacher at Hogwarts could be up to the job. "Zey are very strong... "

"I assure you that Hagrid will be well up to the job, " said Dumbledore, smiling.

"Very well, " said Madame Maxime, bowing slightly. "Will you please inform zis 'Agrid zat ze 'orses drink only single-malt whiskey?"

"It will be attended to, " said Dumbledore, also bowing.

"Come, " said Madame Maxime imperiously to her students, and the Hogwarts crowd parted to allow her and her students to pass up the stone steps.

Unfortunately, the Hogwarts students had to continue to stand out in the cold to wait for Durmstrang to arrive. Most people were gazing hopefully up at the sky. For a few minutes, the silence was broken only by Madame Maxime's huge horses snorting and stamping.

But then a loud and oddly eerie noise was drifting toward them from out of the darkness: muffled rumbling and sucking sound, as though an immense vacuum cleaner were moving along a riverbed.

"The lake!" yelled a voice that Aubrielle recognized to be Lee Jordan, pointing down at it. "Look at the lake!"

From their position at the top of the lawns overlooking the grounds, they had a clear view of the smooth black surface of the water-except that the surface was suddenly not smooth at all. Some disturbance was taking place deep in the center; great bubbles were forming on the surface, waves were now washing over the muddy banks-and then, out in the very middle of the lake, a whirlpool appeared, as if a giant plug had just been pulled out of the lake's floor.. What seemed to be a long, black pole began to rise slowly out of the heart of the whirlpool... And then they all saw the rigging...

Slowly, magnificently, the ship rose out of the water, gleaming in the moonlight. It had a strangely skeletal look about it, as though it were a resurrected wreck, and the dim, misty lights shimmering at its portholes looked like ghostly eyes. Finally, with a great sloshing noise, the ship emerged entirely, bobbing on the turbulent water, and began to glide toward the bank.

A few moments later, they heard the splash of an anchor being thrown down in the shallows, and the thud of a plank being lowered onto the bank. People were disembarking; they could see their silhouettes passing the lights in the ship's portholes. All of them, Aubrielle noticed, seemed to be built rather well... But then, as they drew nearer, walking up the lawns into the light streaming from the entrance hall, she saw that their bulk was really due to the fact that they were wearing cloaks of some kind of shaggy, matted fur. But the man who was leading them up to the castle was wearing furs of a different sort: sleek and silver, like his hair.

"Dumbledore!" he called heartily as he walked up the slope. "How are you, my dear fellow, how are you?"

"Blooming, thank you, Professor Karkaroff," Dumbledore replied.

Karkaroff had a fruity, unctuous voice; when he stepped into the light pouring from the front doors of the castle they saw that he was tall and thin like Dumbledore, but his white hair was short, and his goatee (finishing in a small curl) did not entirely hide his rather weak chin. When he reached Dumbledore, he shook hands with both of his own.

"Dear old Hogwarts, " he said, looking up at the castle and smiling; his teeth were rather yellow, and Aubrielle noticed that his smile did not extend to his eyes, which remained cold and shrewd. "How good it is to be here, how good... Viktor, come along, into the warmth... You don't mind, Dumbledore? Viktor has a slight head cold..." Karkaroff beckoned forward one of his students. Aubrielle automatically recognized him to be Viktor Krum, the reason why Aidan Lynch didn't catch the Snitch at the Quidditch World Cup.

Finally, they were all allowed to re-enter the castle and were able to enjoy the warmth it allowed. They were all led into the Great Hall where the Hogwarts students took a seat at their respective tables. The students from Beauxbatons took their seats at the Ravenclaw table while the Durmstrang students decided on the Slytherin table.

Aubrielle had never been so irritated by French accents in her life. Her mum had one every time she came back from visiting her grandmother who still lived in France. But they… they were complaining because of the cold… Aubrielle had to hold back a smirk. It was only October 30th. It tended to get way colder as December and January hit

When all the students had entered the Hall and settled down at their House tables, the staff entered, filing up to the top table and taking their seats. Last in line were Professor Dumbledore, Professor Karkaroff, and Madame Maxime. When their headmistress appeared, the pupils from Beauxbatons leapt to their feet. A few of the Hogwarts students laughed. The Beauxbatons party appeared quite unembarrassed, however, and did not resume their seats until Madame Maxime had sat down on Dumbledore's left-hand side. Dumbledore remained standing, and a silence fell over the Great Hall.

"Good evening, ladies and gentlemen, ghosts and-most particularly-guests, " said Dumbledore, beaming around at the foreign students. "I have great pleasure in welcoming you all to Hogwarts. I hope and trust that your stay here will be both comfortable and enjoyable." One of the Beauxbatons girls still clutching a muffler around her head gave what was unmistakably aderisive laugh. Aubrielle noticed that few of the Hogwarts students threw glances her way.

"The tournament will be officially opened at the end of the feast, " said Dumbledore. "I now invite you all to eat, drink, and make yourselves at home!"He sat down, and Harry saw Karkaroff lean forward at once and engage him in conversation. The plates in front of them filled with food as usual. The house-elves in the kitchen seemed to have pulled out all the stops; there was a greater variety of dishes in front of them than Aubrielle had ever seen, including several that were definitely foreign.

"What is this?" Lindsay Robles asked pointing at a large dish of some sort of shellfish stew that stood beside large steak-and-kidney pudding.

"Bouillabaisse. It's French." Aubrielle explained. Every Christmas, they visited her grandmother in France. She absolutely loved making Bouillabaisse and had it for dinner just about every Christmas. Aidan loved it just as much as Aubrielle did. She typically pushed the soup around before dumping it into Aidan's bowl when no one was looking. Aidan never figured out where it was coming from.

Once the golden plates had been wiped clean, Dumbledore stood up again. A pleasant sort of tension seemed to fill the Hall now. Harry felt a slight thrill of excitement, wondering what was coming.

" The moment has come, " said Dumbledore, smiling around at the sea of upturned faces. "The Triwizard Tournament is about to start. I would like to say a few words of explanation before we bring in the casket. Just to clarify the procedure that we will be following this year. But first, let me introduce, for those who do not know them, Mr. Bartemius Crouch, Head of the Department of International Magical Cooperation"-there was a smattering of polite applause-"and Mr. Ludo Bagman, Head of the Department of Magical Games and Sports. "There was a much louder round of applause for Bagman than for Crouch, perhaps because of his fame as a Beater, or simply because he looked so much more likable. He acknowledged it with a jovial wave of his hand. Bartemius Crouch did not smile or wave when his name was announced. Aubrielle recognized Ludo Bagman easily. Her dad would constantly invite him over to the manor for dinner. She suspected that he was sucking up so when Ludo retired that he would recommend him for the job.

"Mr. Bagman and Mr. Crouch have worked tirelessly over the last few months on the arrangements for the Triwizard Tournament," Dumbledore continued, "and they will be joining myself, Professor Karkaroff, and Madame Maxime on the panel that will judge the champions' efforts. "At the mention of the word "champions," the attentiveness of the listening students seemed to sharpen.

Perhaps Dumbledore had noticed their sudden stillness, for he smiled as he said, "The casket, then, if you please, Mr. Filch." Filch, who had been lurking unnoticed in a far corner of the Hall, now approached Dumbledore carrying a great wooden chest encrusted with jewels. It looked extremely old. A murmur of excited interest rose from the watching students.

"The instructions for the tasks the champions will face this year have already been examined by Mr. Crouch and Mr. Bagman, " Dumbledore said as Filch placed the chest carefully on the table before him, "and they have made the necessary arrangements for each challenge. There will be three tasks, spaced throughout the school year, and they will test the champions in many different ways. Their magical prowess-their daring-their powers of deduction-and, of course, their ability to cope with danger. "At this last word, the Hall was filled with a silence so absolute that nobody seemed to be breathing.

"As you know, three champions compete in the tournament, "Dumbledore went on calmly, "one from each of the participating schools. They will be marked on how well they perform each of the Tournament tasks and the champion with the highest total after task three will win the Triwizard Cup. The champions will be chosen by an impartial selector: the Goblet of Fire."

Dumbledore now took out his wand and tapped three times upon the top of the casket. The lid creaked slowly open. Dumbledore reached inside it and pulled out a large, roughly hewn wooden cup. It would have been entirely unremarkable had it not been full to the brim with dancing blue-white flames. Dumbledore closed the casket and placed the goblet carefully on top of it, where it would be clearly visible to everyone in the Hall.

"Anybody wishing to submit themselves as champion must write their name and school clearly upon slip of parchment and drop it into the goblet, " said Dumbledore. "Aspiring champions have twenty-four hours in which to put their names forward. Tomorrow night, Halloween, the goblet will return the names of the three it has judged most worthy to represent their schools. The goblet will be placed in the entrance hall tonight, where it will be freely accessible to all those wishing to compete."

"To ensure that no underage student yields to temptation, " said Dumbledore, "I will be drawing an Age Line around the Goblet of Fire once it has been placed in the entrance hall. Nobody under the age of seventeen will be able to cross this line." _An Age Line? Brilliant._ She thought. Dumbledore was one of the smartest people she knew and the Weasley twins couldn't outwit him.

"Finally, I wish to impress upon any of you wishing to compete that this tournament is not to be entered into lightly. Once a champion has been selected by the Goblet of Fire, he or she is obliged to see the tournament through to the end. The placing of your name in the goblet constitutes a binding, magical contract. There can be no change of heart once you have become a champion. Please be very sure, therefore, that you are wholeheartedly prepared to play before you drop your name into the goblet. Now, I think it is time for bed. Good night to you all."

Aubrielle tried to blend in with the Durmstrang students so Fred and George wouldn't see her. She knew that they would probably be looking for her so they could talk about what could get past an Age Line. But they started walking faster and getting her weird looks.

"I found her!" She groaned. Her tiny legs were no match for the twins'. They stood at least 6'0. Aubrielle was barely 5'1.

"Aubrie." The twins had shortened her name in the month that they had been friends (or stalkers as Aubrielle referred)

"An Age Line is tricky…" She bit her lip.

"Which is why you're the perfect person for it." Fred explained like it was logical.

"Do I have a choice?"

"Nope." George answered.

"To the library." To her satisfaction, they groaned. They liked getting her help but they absolutely hated the library. They had to be quiet and respective, which weren't two of their traits.

* * *

A/N: Aubrielle and Krum meet in the next chapter ;)


	4. Chapter 4

A/N: Thank you so much for reading my story! As you can probably tell, I'm sticking to the books though I believe they did a good job with the movies. As usual, I happen to love the book more than the movie. I'm a person that uses my imagination and it comes alive when reading a really good book.

So, Aubrielle meets Viktor…. Briefly.

* * *

On October 31st, Aubrielle was sitting in the library, finishing up some DADA homework that was due the next day. Fred and George had gone to go a snack last night around seven o'clock and was still missing by eight. So Aubrielle packed her stuff up and went to bed before Madam Pince had a chance to kick her out of the library. She came back earlier this morning to start working on her homework.

"May I?" She heard a foreign accent. Looking up, she was met with the eyes of Viktor Krum. He was gesturing to the seat in front of her, wanting to sit down. After she nodded, he took his seat and started quietly reading. She couldn't help but occasionally look up and glance at the famous Seeker.

Viktor Krum was thin, dark, and sallow-skinned, with a large curved nose and thick black eyebrows. He looked like an overgrown bird of prey. It was hard to believe he was only eighteen. He was fully focused on the book he was reading but had the book lying on the table so she couldn't read the title.

That's when the "fan girls" realized that Viktor Krum was the in the library. Thankfully, after a few minutes of being in the library and giggling, Madam Pince finally kicked them out of the library. Everything was peaceful and quiet again.

"George, where is she?"

"She's got to be around here somewhere."

She happened to look up and see the twins, anxiously looking for her. Her first instinct was to duck beneath the table, but she knew they would still find her so she continued to work on her homework.

"I'm Viktor." She stopped trying to focus on the parchment in front of her and looked up at the Bulgarian seeker in front of her.

_He's got a really nice voice._

"Aubrielle!" She went to open her mouth to introduce herself when she realized someone called out her name already.

"Love! I've been looking for you everywhere." They finally sighted her and made their way over to the table. Fred started shoving all of her books into her bag while George picked her up from the table.

"Put me down Weasley." She tried to give her best glare but he just laughed it off.

"Mr. Weasley." Madam Pince glared at the twins. "Disruptions are not allowed in my library."

"We'll go quietly if Aubrielle goes with us." She looked regretfully at Aubrielle before she promptly kicked the Weasley twins and Aubrielle out of the library.

"What did you find out about the Age Line?"

"Well…"

* * *

Throughout the day, many people were putting their names into the Goblet of Fire. Aubrielle, waiting to see if Fred and George's plan worked, seated herself in the entrance hall, beside Hermione Granger, and watched as many people came through.

Turning, she saw Fred and George hurrying down the staircase, looking extremely excited.

"Done it," Fred said in a triumphant whisper to Aubrielle, Harry, Ron, and Hermione.

"Just taken it."

"What?" said Ron.

"The Aging Potion, dung brains," said Fred.

"One drop each," said George, rubbing his hands together with glee. "We only need to be a few months older."

"I'm not sure this is going to work, you know," said Hermione warningly. "I'm sure Dumbledore will have thought of this."

"I tried warning them." Aubrielle threw out there. Fred and George ignored her.

"Ready?" Fred said to the other, quivering with excitement. "C'mon, then-I'll go first-"

They watched, fascinated, as Fred pulled a slip of parchment out of his pocket bearing the words Fred Weasley-Hogwarts. Fred walked right up to the edge of the line and stood there, rocking on his toes like a diver preparing for a fifty-foot drop. Then, with the eyes of every person in the entrance hall upon him, he took a great breath and stepped over the line. For a split second Aubrielle thought it had worked-George certainly thought so, for he let out a yell of triumph and leapt after Fred-but next moment, there was a loud sizzling sound, and both twins were hurled out of the golden circle as though they had been thrown by an invisible shot-putter. They landed painfully, ten feet away on the cold stone floor, and to add insult to injury, there was a loud popping noise, and both of them sprouted identical long white beards. The entrance hall rang with laughter. Even Fred and George joined in, once they had gotten to their feet and taken a good look at each other's beards.

"I did warn you," said a deep, amused voice, and everyone turned to see Professor Dumbledore coming out of the Great Hall. He surveyed Fred and George, his eyes twinkling. "I suggest you both go up to Madam Pomfrey. She is already tending to Miss Fawcett, of Ravenclaw, and Mr. Summers, of Hufflepuff, both of whom decided to age themselves up a little too. Though I must say, neither of their beards is anything like as fine as yours." Aubrielle couldn't help but smirk. The twins walked over to her and practically dragged her with them to the Hospital Wing.

"You said this would work!"

"I said it might work." Aubrielle looked up at them. "I rather like the beards though." She smirked.

* * *

By the time the twins had been reformed to their former glory as beardless sixteen year olds, it had been time for the feast and the announcement of the Champions. George had pleaded with her to sit at the Gryffindor table.

"You don't talk to anyone at the Ravenclaw table anyway." He had pointed out. Aubrielle decided to go along with it instead of trying to argue with the ever stubborn George Weasley.

The Halloween Feast had been excellently prepared. While everyone was just anxious to hear who the Champions were, Aubrielle has enjoying the spread of food. Secretly, she was glad that Aidan wasn't at Hogwarts when this Tournament was going on. She knew he would enter his name and she'd have to live behind an even bigger shadow.

"Well, the goblet is almost ready to make its decision," said Dumbledore. "I estimate that it requires one more minute. Now, when the champions' names are called, I would ask them please to come up to the top of the Hall, walk along the staff table, and go through into the next chamber"-he indicated the door behind the staff table- "where they will be receiving their first instructions."

He took out his wand and gave a great sweeping wave with it; at once, all the candles except those inside the carved pumpkins were extinguished, plunging them into a state of semidarkness. The Goblet of Fire now shone more brightly than anything in the whole Hall, the sparkling bright, bluey-whiteness of the flames almost painful on the eyes. Everyone watched, waiting... A few people kept checking their watches...

"Any second, " Aubrielle heard Lee Jordan whisper. The flames inside the goblet turned suddenly red again. Sparks began to fly from it. Next moment, a tongue of flame shot into the air, a charred piece of parchment fluttered out of it-the whole room gasped. Dumbledore caught the piece of parchment and held it at arm's length, so that he could read it by the light of the flames, which had turned back to blue-white.

"The champion for Durmstrang," he read, in a strong, clear voice, "will be Viktor Krum." A storm of applause and cheering swept the Hall. Viktor Krum ribose from the Slytherin table and walked up toward Dumbledore; he turned right, walked along the staff table, and disappeared through the door into the next chamber.

"Bravo, Viktor!" boomed Karkaroff, so loudly that everyone could hear him, even over all the applause. "Knew you had it in you!"

The clapping and chatting died down. Now everyone's attention was focused again on the goblet, which, seconds later, turned red once more. A second piece of parchment shot out of it, propelled by the flames.

"The champion for Beauxbatons," said Dumbledore, "is Fleur Delacour!" The girl who so resembled a veela got gracefully to her feet, shook back her sheet of silvery blonde hair, and swept up between the Ravenclaw and Hufflepuff tables. Two of the girls who had not been selected had dissolved into tears and were sobbing with their heads on their arms. When Fleur Delacour too had vanished into the side chamber, silence fell again, but this time it was a silence so stiff with excitement you could almost taste it. The Hogwarts champion next... And the Goblet of Fire turned red once more; sparks showered out of it; the tongue of flame shot high into the air, and from its tip Dumbledore pulled the third piece of parchment.

"The Hogwarts champion," he called, "is Cedric Diggory!" Cedric Diggory was a handsome wizard in Aubrielle's year. The two had been paired together for Potions up till their fifth year. She didn't mind. He was quiet and always did his part. Every single Hufflepuff had jumped to his or her feet, screaming and stamping, as Cedric made his way past them, grinning broadly, and headed off toward the chamber behind the teachers' table. Indeed, the applause for Cedric went on so long that it was some time before Dumbledore could make himself heard again.

"Excellent!" Dumbledore called happily as at last the tumult died down. "Well, we now have our three champions. I am sure I can count upon all of you, including the remaining students from Beauxbatons and Durmstrang, to give your champions every ounce of support you can muster. By cheering your champion on, you will contribute in a very real—" But Dumbledore suddenly stopped speaking, and it was apparent to everybody what had distracted him. The fire in the goblet had just turned red again. Sparks were flying out of it. A long flame shot suddenly into the air, and borne upon it was another piece of parchment.

"What did you do?" Aubrielle hissed, looking at the two twins.

"We didn't do this…" Fred admitted nervously. For once, she believed him.

Automatically, it seemed, Dumbledore reached out a long hand and seized the parchment. He held it out and stared at the name written upon it. There was a long pause, during which Dumbledore stared at the slip in his hands, and everyone in the room stared at Dumbledore. And then Dumbledore cleared his throat and read out- "Harry Potter."

"He's fourteen." She heard someone say.

"How did he do that?" George asked, as if Aubrielle or Fred would know the answer.

"Blimey, we should have gone to Harry Potter instead." Fred murmured with George nodding in agreement. 

"I don't think he did it." She pointed out. Harry's face had gone white. So much for a peaceful year for the Boy-Who-Lived.

"Harry Potter!" Professor Dumbledore called again. "Harry! Up here, if you please!"

Aubrielle and everyone else in the Great Hall watched as Harry walked the same path as the other three, but with no applause. She felt bad for him. Surely, he didn't want this.


End file.
